It's potentially going to be quite funny when Microsoft finally get their act together. I don't see Microsoft taking iPhone sales away, I see them taking Android "marketshare" away.

To be honest, the reason people are flocking to Android is not because it's better. It's simply because people get the phones for free on low contract rates and because nearly all phones now from different manufacturers are Android based. People don't actually understand all the differences. They simply associate apple with being cool and expensive, they will have some dip**** sales idiot from a phone shop with a quota to fill driving the cheap and free android phones down their necks (I have been on the receiving end of this) because it's an easier sale.

Apple have missed a trick here. I do see however that once apps start coming out for the windows phone that the landscape will change again: Windows, Android, iOS. I am not sure how things will be split, but certainly android at some point is going to suffer. I certainly could be wrong.

I don't it's necessarily a BAD THING for Apple to be in the challenger position again. The BEST eras of Apple were ALWAYS when they weren't the "top dog", of course discounting the time when Steve Jobs was forced away from the company and Sculley or Amelio was running the show.

Look at where Apple was when it developed the Macintosh. Look at where Apple was when it introduced the iMac. The iPod. The iPhone. Even the iPad.

And look where Apple is TODAY.

OS X has regressed unbelievably. iOS is trailing behind Android. And it's not just the operating systems, even things like Final Cut Pro have taken HUGE leaps BACKWARDS.

Why?

Because Apple is no longer HUNGRY. It no longer feels it needs to PROVE itself by offering customers with a far superior ALTERNATIVE.

Apple has grown FAT and CONTENT.

When you spend more annually on patent litigation trying to keep competitors off the market rather than on research and development trying to BEAT competitors IN the market, it's an obvious sign that you have LOST THE PLOT.

So let Google and Android have their VICTORY. What they don't understand is what they MIGHT have done is AWAKEN A SLEEPING GIANT.

I know this is an Apple enthusiast forum but some of you need to pull your heads out. Google's Android has grown leaps and bounds in the mobile market especially this year alone. Just like with Microsoft, no company stay atop forever. Apple seems like a different company with Jobs gone. Other companies have managed to catch up in in some case pass Apple in a lot of areas. the mobile market is no exception. I'm not saying the end is near for Apple but they are definitely not the be all and all in the tech world they once were.

Be nicer if it was like gaming where the P3 and the XBOX pretty much have a 50/50 split and the Wii (Apple) kind of does their own thing. Although I am aware the Wii sold more but pretend it didn't since Apple kind of reminds me more of Nintendo than the other two.

It's potentially going to be quite funny when Microsoft finally get their act together. I don't see Microsoft taking iPhone sales away, I see them taking Android "marketshare" away.

To be honest, the reason people are flocking to Android is not because it's better. It's simply because people get the phones for free on low contract rates and because nearly all phones now from different manufacturers are Android based. People don't actually understand all the differences. They simply associate apple with being cool and expensive, they will have some dip**** sales idiot from a phone shop with a quota to fill driving the cheap and free android phones down their necks (I have been on the receiving end of this) because it's an easier sale.

Apple have missed a trick here. I do see however that once apps start coming out for the windows phone that the landscape will change again: Windows, Android, iOS. I am not sure how things will be split, but certainly android at some point is going to suffer. I certainly could be wrong.

apple sells free iphone 4's now too. A lot of android phones out now (gs3, razr, note 2, ect) are high price points. Jellybeans better than iOS is.
Apple has a big advantage in fragmented software (which will start to be more of a problem for iOS when people buy a iphone 4 now and keep it for two years, not no-ing it can't run the latest version of it.) Windows will probably take a chunk out of the cheap phone market, but android will still dominate since apple won't ever license out iOS.

I sold all but one share (for nostalgia) of my apple stock at 680. I could've held on for a bit more at 700 but I began to feel the chill wind, and sold it all before it began to drop. Now it's 539 and will continue dropping like the stone tied to the Jew at the bridge on the River Elbe!

The allure of Apple is passe. There's no reason to expect that they'll invent a new kind of smart phone, or new kind of iPod - they can but only rehash the stale, old stuff they've been pushing for the last decade. The tablet was hardly innovative - it was simply the next logical step and Apple was first and I applaud them for doing such a smashing job at it!

Have you seen the commercials of late of Windows 8 Metro style smart phones? I consider the Microsoft interface a very interesting, fresh, and innovative interface - it's much more geared to the mobile, quick-glance-summary paradigm that we've been expecting from our mobile devices - a stark contrast to the crappy android interface and the so-so iOS interface we've become accustomed to. Personally, I'm a big fan of the WebOS interface - I think it's a much nicer way of operating a mobile device than anything else, except the Microsoft Metro interface.

Apple was so 2000-2015. Time to move on. Better sell your stock if you haven't yet.

If Eric Schmidt was as smart as he is ugly Apple might be in trouble. He forgets the fact the current sales that Apple has Android beat in the US.

Worldwide yes I am sure Android is winning because you can get Android everywhere not to mention all the junk Android phones they give away in Magazines. But Android can have market share Apple has the gold and that is what matters. He has the gold makes the rules.

apple sells free iphone 4's now too. A lot of android phones out now (gs3, razr, note 2, ect) are high price points. Jellybeans better than iOS is.
Apple has a big advantage in fragmented software (which will start to be more of a problem for iOS when people buy a iphone 4 now and keep it for two years, not no-ing it can't run the latest version of it.) Windows will probably take a chunk out of the cheap phone market, but android will still dominate since apple won't ever license out iOS.

Possibly. The last time I checked the S3 was free on a £36 contract, but that seems to have changed.. In fact I just checked three now and the S3 is £29 up front on a 24 month £36 quid contract, the iPhone 5 is £49 up front with £39 quid a month contract (£99 on the cheaper £36 a month). All other iphones are now free...

Dear Eric,
we the consumer aren't just some piece of sand for you to roll the tanks over and claim. This ain't no war for you to win. We want these devices in our life to deliver function. We will spend our dollars with the companies that understand that.

In short we want the Google that is run by the executive not the Google run by you and the board.